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My Personal Philosophy of Education

Tatum Strand
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Dr. Joni Burris

Without teachers, society wouldnt have well educated people to fulfill the many
important jobs that are needed to continue to develop our world. Teachers are the stepping stones
for students looking to become future doctors or scientist, without them it would be impossible
for students to achieve such goals. Each Teacher has their own teaching philosophy including
myself. A teaching philosophy is how the teacher wishes to teach their students. There are many
different philosophies for teachers to look at, but John Deweys philosophy stood out the most
and made me think that is how I want my classroom to be.
John Dewey was the most influential educator of the twentieth Century. Dewey believed
that the students should be active participants in their own learning. Dewey states: They learn
by doing and their interests must be a driving force behind curriculum in the classroom (Koch,
2014, p. 42). It is important for the students to learn that their education is in their own hands,
and by being active participants in the classroom they learn that it is there responsibility. His
educational philosophy is referred to as progressivism and as pragmatism. Along with students
being active in the classroom Dewey believed that students should learn how to live and work
cooperatively with not only other students but with their teachers as well.
Deweys philosophy has helped classrooms across the globe include progressivism in
their lesson plans. I agree whole heartily with John Deweys educational philosophy because
progressivism puts the students first. It allows the flexibility in the ways I want to write and teach
my lesson plans. In my future classroom, I want my students to know that there is no wrong way
to learn or to be taught. I want them to know that anything is possible if they think that they can
do it. My future classroom will have the students actively learning through active play and work.
I dont want my students to sit in their desks all day just getting information through lectures. I
am going to have many different projects for them to do and come up with different ways for

them to move about the room during the lesson I am teaching. Different examples of
progressivism in my classroom would be to allow them to move closer to the board to see the
lesson better. Another example would allow them to switch groups or desks if they feel like they
need a different perspective on the lesson.
My students in my future classroom will know that I care about how they learn as much
as what it is that they need to be learning. I want them to know that I support them in any way
that they need, whether it is emotionally or educationally. I believe that if I have an active
classroom and I change things from day to day that they would fully understand how much I
support their educational journeys. The most important quality in my personal educational
philosophy is my activism in the classroom. Its important for me to be engaging with my
students in the classroom because it shows, that if I am active and caring for them then they can
be active in their own education.
Education is the most important process in someones life and without excellent, superb
and active teachers that process would be almost impossible. Without quality teachers, we
wouldnt have the many important people needed to continue to develop our world.
Progressivism stresses active learning and I hope to one day be a great progressivist that future
teachers can look up to like I look up to John Dewey.

References
Koch, J. (2015). TEACH. 3rd Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.